Factors driving sediment compositional change in the distal area of the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain): oceanographic processes vs. paleopollution.

We analyze potential Late Holocene metal contamination along a sediment core collected in the distal zone of Ria de Vigo (North Spain). Statistical treatment of the dataset based on a multiproxy approach enabled us to identify and disentangle factors influencing the depositional processes and the preservation of the records of this activity in the area over the last ≈3000 years BP. Some layers of the analyzed core have significant enrichment in Cu and a moderate enrichment in Ag, Mo, As, Sb, S, Zn, Ni, Sn, Cd, Cr, Co, Pb, and Li. The enrichment of these elements in some layers of this core may be related to mining activities that have taken place since classical times in the region. Successive phases of pollution were identified along the core KSGX24 related to the Late Bronze Age (≈3000-2450 years BP), Iron Age (≈2450-1850 years BP), Roman times (≈1850-1550 years BP), Middle Ages (≈1250-500 years BP), and industrial and modern (≈250-0 years BP) anthropic activities. The protection of the Cies Islands, the erosive and transport capacity of the rivers in the region, oscillations of the oceanographic and climatic regime, atmospheric contamination, and diagenetic sedimentary processes might have contributed to the accumulation and preservation of this record in the distal region of the Ria de Vigo. The studied core shows that the industrial and preindustrial anthropic impacts caused an environmental liability and contributed to the presence of moderate to heavy pollution of various metals in surface and subsurface sediment layers in the distal sector of the Ria de Vigo, which could be a hazard to biota.

Trace metals enrichment and potential ecological risk in sediments of the Sepetiba Bay (Rio de Janeiro, SE Brazil).

The Sepetiba Bay (SB; SE Brazil) has been severely affected by growing of urbanization and industrial activity. This work aims to analyze the evolution of contamination by metals of sediments in SB. The results show a marked increasing trend in the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), which is consistent with the rapid populational and industrial growth, mostly since 1970 CE. The remobilization and redistribution of sediments by currents have contributed to the dispersion of metals from the main source of pollutants to relatively distant regions. "Moderately to strongly polluted" sediments are also recorded in some sites in deeper sedimentary layers (namely in preindustrial periods), probably due to lithologic sources of the sediments. The concentrations of PTEs in SB are relatively high when compared with those found globally and in other Brazilian water bodies. Samples of high-resolution sediment cores confirmed that potential ecological risk to the coastal system is influenced not only through human actions but also by natural causes.

Fish assemblage patterns in a subtropical estuary in southern Brazil / Padrões da assembleia de peixes em uma baía subtropical do sul do Brasil

Abstract: In this study, the relationship between fish assemblage structure and environmental factors was analyzed in a bay in southern Brazil. Fish were collected every two months between February and December 2002 at six sampling sites using bottom trawl nets. Abiotic data (salinity, temperature, rainfall, and depth) and biotic data (number of individuals, biomass, and total length of individuals from each species) were obtained. In total, 56 fish species representing 27 families were collected. Assemblage structure varied with seasonality, as was evidenced by the variation in temperature and rainfall in each season. Catches showed a high abundance of demersal fishes, particularly Genidens genidens, Eucinostomus gula, and E. argenteus.

Resumo: Neste estudo, a relação entre a estrutura da assembleia de peixes e fatores ambientais foi analisada em uma baía no sul do Brasil. Os peixes foram coletados a cada dois meses entre fevereiro e dezembro de 2002 em seis locais de amostragem usando redes de arrasto de fundo. Dados abióticos (salinidade, temperatura, precipitação e profundidade) e dados bióticos (número de indivíduos, biomassa e comprimento total de indivíduos de cada espécie) foram obtidos. No total, 56 espécies de peixes representando 27 famílias foram coletadas. A estrutura da assembleia variou com a sazonalidade, conforme evidenciado pela variação da temperatura e precipitação em cada estação. As capturas mostraram grande abundância de peixes demersais, principalmente Genidens genidens, Eucinostomus gula e E. argenteus.

Sociodemographic and pharmacoepidemiological profile of people on antiretroviral therapy in the coast of the state of Paraná

The aim of this study was to investigate possible factors related to antiretroviral therapy (ART) that contribute to the understanding of the highest rate of Aids detection on the coast of the state of Paraná, a port region identified administratively as the 1stRegional Health Division (1stHD) in the state of Paraná. Data on the sociodemographic profile of the population undergoing antiretroviral treatment (ART), medication changes, dropout of therapy, proportion of the population undergoing treatment and viral load were obtained through computerized systems. Between July 1, 2018 and June 31, 2019, 1,393 people were on ART in the 1stRS. Of these, 57.6% were male. During this period, 110 people started ART with a predominance of the age group between 30 and 39 years old. ART was switched for169 people and 211 patient dropouts were detected. The proportion of people diagnosed with HIV without treatment (gap) is still high, however 92.7% people on ART have suppressed viral load. It can be concluded that the lower educational level of the population undergoing treatment, the late diagnosis of those infected and the treatment gapprobably contribute to the highest rate of Aids detection in the 1stRS.

Anthropogenic and natural inputs of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediment of three coastal systems of the Brazilian Amazon.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in 32 surface sediment samples collected around three cities (Barcarena, Belém, and Santana) located on the coast of the Brazilian Amazon. The concentration of total PAHs ranged from lower than detection limit to 33,101 ng g-1 in a sample from Barcarena and was related to a large aluminum industrial complex and port activities. In Belém, which is the most populated area in the Amazon region, PAHs were probably derived from untreated sewage discharge and inputs from a large municipal landfill. Pyrogenic PAHs were predominant in both cities, with a smaller contribution of petrogenic PAHs. Low alkylated PAH levels may be associated with small boats and ship traffic. Santana had low total PAH concentrations, with a predominance of unusual alkylated PAHs, probably related to diagenetic transformations of organic matter in the sediment. In general, PAH concentrations in the samples were low and may reflect baseline levels for this Amazon estuarine system.

Plastics and microplastics, effects on marine coastal areas: a review.

Plastics have become strong environmental stressors of coastal marine ecosystems. Their introduction into the marine ecosystem is subjected to different mechanisms, including the inadequate disposal of solid waste and dumping of wastewater. In addition, their chemical composition makes them resistant to variables such as temperature and salinity of water. These polymers are degraded and fragmented mainly due to the action of the waves, which results in the formation of smaller particles called microplastics. Microplastics are characterized by being persistent in the environment due to their low biodegradation, and although they have a maximum size of 5 mm, there is a wide range of sizes suggested by different authors. According to their use, microplastics can be classified as primary when they are recognized at first sight, and as secondary, when they are gradually divided. Microplastics have become a potential risk to the health of marine species due to their small size, and the risk to human health due to their persistence through trophic chains is alarming. Given the potential impact these materials would have in the biota, and the need to assist the different regulatory agencies to develop political acts on the proper management and disposal of microplastics, the aim of this work was to identify different research carried out at international level on established methodologies for studies of identification and quantification of microplastics, bacterial communities, and contaminants adhered to microparticles. Given the above, some methodologies have been identified and used in various studies for the identification and quantification of these materials on beaches. It should be noted that in different countries, there has been an increase in research related to contamination by microplastics on beaches, in which bacterial communities attached to these plastic particles have been also identified. Likewise, not only the risks and threats have been determined for marine species but also for the health of people who frequent tourist places such as beaches.

Temporal patterns of fish occurrence of the euryhaline sector of a subtropical estuary, southern Brazil

Fish fauna was studied in five sites of the shallow infralittoral of the Paranaguá Bay during the period from October 1999 to September 2000. At each sampling site, fish were sampled with other trawls, salinity and temperature were measured, water samples were taken from the bottom of the water column for determination of dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate. The spatial and temporal behavior of the environmental variables was analyzed by a Principal Component Analysis; Cluster Analysis was used to gather the sampling sites, and Factorial Correspondence Analysis was applied to the most abundant species. Temperature was themost important variable for the distribution of the months, allowing the division of the study period into hot and cold months. The temporal variation in the fish fauna composition was indicated by cluster analysis, with highest percentages of dissimilarity between the sampling sites during hot months. The variation in dissimilarity between the sites occurred due to differences in the number of individuals and species of the catches. The high frequencies of occurrence of Anisotremus surinamensis, Etropus crossotus, Genidens genidens, Micropogonias furnieri and Sphoeroides greeleyiwere related to high temperatures. The greatest number of fish and species observed in hot months may be related to the life cycle of many species, which reproduce in warmer months, and whose offspring use estuaries as breeding areas.

Using lead isotopes and potentially toxic elements to trace pollutant sources in the northern region of Guanabara Bay, southeastern Brazil.

Guanabara Bay (southeastern Brazil) is located in the metropolitan region of the Rio de Janeiro State and is being affected by high levels of anthropization. This work analyzes not only the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), but also Pb stable isotopes to trace possible anthropogenic and natural sources of pollutants in the northern region of Guanabara Bay and the Suruí and Magé rivers. The Governador Island Channel, the regions to the north of Governador Island, north and west of Paquetá Island, and the Magé coast are most affected by PTEs. In the study area, high PTE concentrations result from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The main sources of metals include municipal solid waste incineration, atmospheric aerosols, and ore lead tailings, as indicated by Pb isotopes. This work shows that Pb stable isotopes, associated with metal contamination, can improve the assessment of estuarine environment quality.

On the sources of PBDEs in coastal marine sediments off Baja California, Mexico.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely distributed compounds in all types of matrices. In the northern portion of the Southern California Bight (SCB), there were reports of some of the largest PBDE concentrations in marine mammals and mussels. Because of this, we decided to analyze the status of PBDEs in the southern part of the SCB. An analysis of 91 samples of marine surface sediment was carried out. All of the 91 samples contained measurable amounts of PBDEs, which is a manifestation of the widespread distribution of these chemical substances. However, the levels detected are between one and two orders of magnitude smaller than those reported in southern California. Currents appear to control the distribution of PBDEs along the coast and the sedimentation sites with largest concentrations are favored by local bathymetry. Maximum concentrations were located in the middle and deeper platforms ranging from 0.02 to 5.90 (with a median 0.71) ng·g(-1) d.w. Deca-BDE mixture is largely predominant in the sediments followed by the penta-BDE mixture. The mass balance for the latitudinal strata shows the largest concentrations in the north where the largest population centers are present and with a very clear southward gradient. The mass balance calculation values showed about 36kg of PBDEs for the north, 22kg for the center, and 10kg for the south strata. In terms of depth, the PBDEs are mainly located on the middle and deep platforms rather than near point discharges, which is different than that reported by other authors.

How marine debris ingestion differs among megafauna species in a tropical coastal area.

The marine debris ingested by megafauna species (Trichiurus lepturus, Chelonia mydas, Pontoporia blainvillei, and Sotalia guianensis) was recorded in a coastal area of southeastern Brazil (21-23°S). Marine debris was recorded in all species, mainly consisting of plastic material (flexible and hard plastics - clear, white, and colored- and nylon filaments). The 'pelagic predators' T. lepturus and S. guianesis showed the lowest percent frequencies of debris ingestion (0.7% and 1.3%, respectively), followed by the 'benthic predator' P. blainvillei (15.7%) and the 'benthic herbivorous C. mydas (59.2%). The debris found in C. mydas stomachs was opportunistically ingested during feeding activities on local macroalgal banks. In the study area, the benthic environment accumulates more anthropogenic debris than the pelagic environment, and benthic/demersal feeders are more susceptible to encounters and ingestion. The sub-lethal effects observed in C. mydas, such as intestinal obstruction due to hardened fecal material, should be considered a local conservation concern.

Occurrence of Proteus mirabilis associated with two species of venezuelan oysters

The fecal contamination of raw seafood by indicators and opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms represents a public health concern. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of enteric bacteria colonizing oysters collected from a Venezuelan touristic area. Oyster samples were collected at the northwestern coast of Venezuela and local salinity, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen of seawater were recorded. Total and fecal coliforms were measured for the assessment of the microbiological quality of water and oysters, using the Multiple Tube Fermentation technique. Analyses were made using cultures and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Diverse enrichment and selective culture methods were used to isolate enteric bacteria. We obtained pure cultures of Gram-negative straight rods with fimbriae from Isognomon alatus and Crassostrea rhizophorae. Our results show that P. mirabilis was predominant under our culture conditions. We confirmed the identity of the cultures by biochemical tests, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and data analysis. Other enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were also isolated from seawater and oysters. The presence of pathogenic bacteria in oysters could have serious epidemiological implications and a potential human health risk associated with consumption of raw seafood.

A contaminação fecal de frutos do mar crus por microrganismos oportunistas patogênicos representa problema de saúde pública. O objetivo deste estudo é investigar a presença de bactérias entéricas que colonizam ostras coletadas em área turística da Venezuela. Amostras de ostras foram coletadas na costa noroeste da Venezuela e foram registrados a salinidade local, pH, temperatura e o oxigênio dissolvido na água do mar. O total de coliformes fecais foi medido para a avaliação da qualidade microbiológica da água e das ostras, usando a técnica de fermentação em tubos múltiplos. Análises foram feitas usando culturas e seqüência do gene 16S rRNA. Enriquecimento diversificado e métodos de cultura seletivos foram usados para isolar a bactéria entérica. Obtivemos culturas puras de bastões retos Gram negativos com fímbrias de Isognomon alatus e Crassostrea rhizophorae. Nossos resultados mostram que P. mirabilis foi predominante nas nossas condições de cultura. Confirmamos a identidade das culturas por testes bioquímicos, seqüência do gene 16rRNA e a análise de dados. Outras enterobactérias como Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii e Klebsiella pneumoniae foram também isoladas da água do mar e ostras. A presença de bactérias patogênicas em ostras podem ter implicações epidemiológicas e potencial risco para a saúde humana quando do consumo de frutos do mar crus.